Monday, November 3, 2008

Newz

It's hard, even for me, to focus on dogs and writing when the most important presidential election in at least a generation takes place tomorrow. But still, I've got some news to share:

-- I've just signed a contract to write the second edition of my first book, Housetraining For Dummies. HTFD 1 has sold over 160,000 copies in the six years it's been in print, and still generates some more-than-welcome royalty checks. But I'm looking forward to writing a new, up-to-date version -- and hope (of course!) that it does as well as the first edition.

-- In January I'll be starting a training apprenticeship with one of the best dog trainers in the United States, Pat Miller. This is a step I've been contemplating for a long time, but until other people convinced me that I've done well with my confidence-busting Golden girl, the incomparable Miss Allie, I questioned whether I had the stuff to become a trainer as well as an author. I guess now I'll find out -- but I'm a lot more hopeful that I've got what it takes than I ever was before. I'll still write, but now I can put what I write into action.

-- Allie turned six years old yesterday! Her birthday gift from me: 14 tennis balls to destroy whenever I give her the opportunity. So far, I've given her two, and her speed of demolition is becoming most impressive.

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About Me

No, this is not a picture of me. This smiling face belongs to Allie, the eight-year-old Golden Retriever for whom this blog is named. I'm an award-winning writer who specializes in companion animal topics, especially those pertaining to dogs. In addition to my writing for periodicals, I've also written six books about dog care, including the best-selling Housetraining For Dummies. On this blog, I'll explore various aspects of living with dogs and writing about them -- with occasional detours into totally unrelated topics (because I can!). Enjoy!